EMC testing service includes on-site measurements

As demand for EMC testing for regulatory compliance grows, Laidler Associates is investing heavily in equipment and training - and has just employed another globally qualified test engineer to keep up with worldwide demand.

Chris Norris of Laidler Associates says: "Our new engineer has already carried out projects in the USA, Japan and Korea, as well as throughout Europe."

Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is important for all types for electrical equipment - from televisions to vacuum cleaners, and from mobile telephones to computers - to operate simultaneously without interfering with each other. Norris explains: "Most of these items will need EMC testing if they are to comply with the EMC Directive for CE marking."

But he points out that even if each individual item in a factory or office has been EMC-tested and is CE-marked, there is no guarantee that when all the emissions are added together, the system still complies.

Norris adds: "Clearly, it is not possible to build a machine or system in a test lab or anechoic chamber for testing, so testing is rarely carried out. But Laidler Associates has always been of the opinion that you cannot ensure compliance with the EMC Directive without carrying out testing - and to be certain, this has to be done on site."

This opinion has been backed up by the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) in a letter to Laidler Associates, stating: "If it is reasonably practicable to carry out testing for immunity to electromagnetic disturbances, then the Health and Safety at Work Act requires that such testing is carried out. In most situations it would be necessary to undertake such testing as part of compliance with the Machinery Directive."